Symptoms of Flu

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an annual flu vaccination is the most effective protection against catching the flu. Flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. If at...

Continue reading →

Veteran Administration Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit, pt 3

VA Pension Provides Financial Assistance The Veteran Administration provides financial assistance for qualifying veterans (or surviving spouses) through the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. It is intended for those requiring help with routine tasks, or two or more “activities...

Continue reading →

Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit, pt. 2

The financial formula utilized by the VA can be somewhat confusing.  In simplest terms, we need to define household income.  (What is coming into the bank account on a monthly basis?) Next, we tally privately paid health/medical expenses,...

Continue reading →

AARP projects a 3.6 percent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027

AARP projects a 3.6 percent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, based on current inflation data. That would increase the average retired worker’s benefit by $75 a month. The COLA is based on changes in consumer prices in the third...

Continue reading →

Veterans: Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit, pt. 1

How to Determine Eligibility The application process and paperwork required to submit an application for Aid & Attendance eligibility is relatively simple.  However, there is no real instruction manual.  I have helped numerous parties complete and submit documents to the...

Continue reading →

Managing Sundown Syndrome, pt 3

So, it’s 6 p.m., and despite your best efforts, agitation in your elderly parent is building. What now? How do you manage a Sundowning episode? First, check your own stress level. The elder with dementia can pick...

Continue reading →

Social Security COLA Set at 2.8% for 2026

Social Security beneficiaries will get a 2.8 percent increase in their monthly payments next year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced on Oct. 24. The 2026 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is slightly higher than last year’s 2.5 percent increase, reflecting a...

Continue reading →

Fraud Advisory Issued from Social Security

For immediate release... The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about an ongoing caller-ID “spoofing” scheme misusing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) national customer service phone number. SSA has received numerous reports of...

Continue reading →

Medicaid Continues to Expand: Good or Bad?

Re-posting an article summary...Medicaid spending is something we should be thinking about! Millions of men, women, and children across the country rely on Medicaid for their healthcare. While the program was initially designed to support the elderly, it expanded through...

Continue reading →

Care Services Still Lacking for Veterans

Defining necessary health care for veterans can be almost impossible.  Everyone has unique needs. They might be young but have mental and emotional scars from their time overseas, or they could be older and have health care needs related...

Continue reading →